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worth. “The price will fluctuate, but you’ve got to be able to produce quality, predictable genetics that will meet the needs of the buy- ing public,” Kropp said. “When you can do that in volume, you will have arrived.” The seedstock business is a people busi- ness, and it’s critical to keep your custom- ers happy and coming back. “The two most important words are, repeat customer. When you have repeat customers, you don’t have to worry about whether or not you’ll sell your product, because they’ll be there,” Kropp said. “Reputation, personality and customer service are essential. You are no different than a car dealer. People will go to a certain grocery store or pizza par- lor because they like the business and the product. It’s no different with the seedstock business. “Anyone can buy success, but not just anyone can maintain it. Becoming success- ful requires a solid plan,” Kropp explained. According to Kropp, these are the 10 steps to becoming a successful seedstock producer:

Develop a written plan for this year, and one for the next five

No. 1

years – and use them. Assess the plan ev- ery year. Ask yourself, How did I do? What changes do I need to make?

Develop a strong relationship with people you trust who can

No. 2

give you some guidance and insight into the business. Keep in mind the importance of building relationships with people you can trust, even if they’re your competitors. Understand without any ques- tion what the people in this industry want to buy. Who are your po- tential customers? What are their needs? What do they want to buy? These particu- lars are critical for you to be able to tailor your program to fit your customers’ needs. Consider asking yourself these questions: How big a herd do you need? What are these customers going to expect in terms of customer service? How much money will they want to spend? No. 3

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www.akaushi.com • Spring 2018